Granulator feed apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods of producing granulated fertilizer products. In some embodiments, the granulated fertilizer product includes a double salt of ammonium nitrate and sulfate nitrate having the formula NH 4 SO 4 .2(NH 4 NO 3 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of producing a granulated fertilizer product comprising:
 providing a melt slurry; 
 mixing an inert fluid with the melt slurry to form a mixture; 
 spraying the mixture in a granulation bed of a granulation drum; and 
 solidifying the melt slurry in the granulation drum to form a granulated fertilizer product, and 
 wherein said mixing step further comprises injecting the inert fluid into the melt slurry at an injection location in a conduit of the granulation drum. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the melt slurry comprises ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate, and wherein the product includes a double salt of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate having the formula NH 4 SO 4 .2(NH 4 NO 3 ). 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least 50 wt. % of the product consists of the NH 4 SO 4 .2(NH 4 NO 3 ) double salt. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein less than about 7 wt. % of the product consists of unreacted and underreacted ammonium nitrate and the NH 4 SO 4 .3(NH 4 NO 3 ) double salt. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the melt slurry comprises a molar ratio of ammonium nitrate to ammonium sulfate of about 0.9:1 to about 1.1:1. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the product comprises granules having a water content from about 0.4 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. %. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the granulation bed is maintained at a temperature from about 80° C. to about 120° C. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid is a volatile fluid and the granulated fertilizer product does not wholly include the volatile fluid. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid is selected from the group consisting of: steam, liquid water, air, nitrogen, and argon. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid is steam. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid is liquid water. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid has an atmospheric boiling point of about 110° C. or less. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid is provided at an amount, based on the weight of the melt slurry, of from about 0.01 wt. % to ratio to about 0.03 wt. %. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inert fluid is provided at an amount, based on the weight of the melt slurry, of from about 4 wt. % to ratio to about 20 wt. %. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring at least one property of the melt slurry with at least one instrument, wherein said mixing step is performed after said measuring step. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein said measuring includes measuring at least one property selected from the group consisting of flow rate, pressure, and temperature. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injection location is a header or a distributor of the granulation drum. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mixing is performed by injecting the inert fluid into the melt slurry at the injection location in the conduit prior to entering the granulation drum. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injection location is positioned proximate a coupling between the conduit and the granulation drum. 
     
     
       20. A method of producing a granulated fertilizer product in a granulation drum, the method comprising:
 providing a melt slurry; 
 mixing an inert fluid with the melt slurry to form a mixture by injecting the inert fluid into the melt slurry at an injection point proximate a coupling between a conduit of the granulation drum and the granulation drum; 
 spraying the mixture in a granulation bed of the granulation drum; and 
 solidifying the melt slurry in the granulation drum to form a granulated fertilizer product.